Completa guía de Carcassonne | Cómo llegar y qué ver en la Cité | Francia

Acompáñame a descubrir todo lo que puedes ver y hacer en Carcassonne, la ciudad medieval más emblemática de Francia y sumérgete en su apasionante historia.

00:00 Intro
00:43 Breve historia
02:14 Como llegar a Carcassonne
02:42 Aparcamiento
02:53 Pont Vieux
03:29 Cementerio de la Cité
03:43 Busto Dame Carcas y leyenda
04:50 Porte Narbonnaise + recorrido por sus callejuelas y plazas
05:27 Castillo Condal
06:47 Camino de ronda por las murallas
08:09 Lizas y fiestas de Carcassonne
09:02 La Bastida de Saint-Louis
09:15 Basílica de Saint-Nazaire
09:50 Teatro al aire libre Jean-Deschamps
10:07 Hôtel de la Cité
10:47 Place Marcou
10:58 Campo Medieval
11:20 Museos de la tortura y la inquisición
11:37 Plaza de Grand Puits

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Today we move to the south of France, specifically to the region of Occitania. And, halfway between Toulouse and Narbonne, we find the best preserved and largest medieval fortified city in Europe. Whose existence dates back to the 6th century BC. It was inhabited by Celts, Romans, Visigoths, Saracens and Franks. Scene of the crusade against the Cathars. And over the centuries destroyed and rebuilt, expanded, reinforced, abandoned and finally restored. Welcome to Carcassonne!! Carcassonne has been located in a strategic location, since the Neolithic, on the route between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, thanks to the Midi Canal, a river axis widely used in ancient times. There are indications that where the citadel is located today there was already an oppidum fortified as an important commercial center, called Carcasso, back in the 6th century BC. During the 1st century BC it became inhabited and fortified by the Romans and, with the decline of its empire, in the 5th century, it was included in the Visigothic Kingdom of Tolosa until the Muslim invasion arrived, in the year 725, when it fell. The Saracens occupied it until the year 752 when it passed into the hands of the Frankish Kingdom. In 1067 the Trencavels acquired the title of counts and created the viscounty of Carcassonne. This dynasty was a victim, in the 13th century, of the Albigensian crusade, who were persecuted by the church and the Trencavels, accused of being heretics. Louis IX seizes power and orders the construction of the city’s second fortification, turning it into an impregnable citadel. Various wars followed one another later, but the city resisted. When Roussillon was annexed to France, the border with Spain increased considerably and the military role of Carcassonne decreased until it was completely abandoned. The army was prepared to hand it over for demolition, but in 1844 the reconstruction of the citadel was granted to Viollet-le-Duc. It can be reached by train from any of the most important cities in France. And from Barcelona and Madrid through Narbonne or Perpignan. Another option is by plane, landing at the airports of Carcassonne, Toulouse, Perpignan or Montpellier. Although, from Spain there are no direct flights to Carcassonne. It can also be reached by car from Spain. The fastest option if you live near the border. But don’t forget the French tolls. In our case it was €32 round trip. As for parking, there are several paid parking spaces available next to the main entrance to the citadel. We stayed 5 hours and paid €14. It’s a bit stingy, but you have free parking next to the Pont Vieux, which can be a good alternative if you don’t mind walking a bit. 15 min to the Narbonnaise gate and 12 to the Aude gate. Don’t miss the impressive panoramic view, from the bridge, of the entire medieval city rising imposingly on the hill. And at the end of it, the chapel of Our Lady of Health, which was part of an old hospital. On one of its walls you can see a large number of thanks in different languages. And, in front of this chapel, is the beginning of the Camino de Santiago in Carcassonne. With that said, let’s start the tour by entering through the main door. But before crossing the robust walls, we enter a small and charming cemetery that could go unnoticed, but it would be a shame since great personalities of the city lie here from the year 1800 to the present day. Another element that is of great relevance is the bust of Dame Carcas, which is located next to the Porte Narbonnaise to welcome all its visitors. Legend has it that in the 8th century Charlemagne’s troops besieged the fortified city for 5 long years in order to expel the Saracens who controlled it, a period during which their king died. When the people were about to die of thirst and hunger and surrender was their only hope, Carcas, the king’s widow, placed straw dolls in the towers, shot arrows from different points of the walls, to show strength, and baited the only pig left in the city, exhausting all its supplies, in order to throw it down the walls so that the impact would show all the grain it had inside. and they believed that resources still abounded within the walls. Faced with this situation, Charlemagne’s army gave up the conquest. And the Muslims rang all the bells of the city as a sign of victory. When Dame Carcas called him to sign peace, someone said to Charlemagne: Carcas Sonne, Carcas sounds in Spanish, and hence his current name. Now we cross the beautiful Narbonnaise porte by the drawbridge that spans the moat and arrive at a narrow street, called Mayrevieille, full of small shops selling souvenirs and artisan products inspired by the Middle Ages, sweets, ice cream parlors, creperies or taverns where you can taste one of its famous cassoulets, a typical Occitania stew, composed of white beans, meat and sausage. Usually pork ribs, Toulouse sausages, bacon, blood sausage and duck confit. It is also known as the poor man’s plate. If we continue this beautiful street we arrive at the castle square, where the entrance to the Count’s Castle is located, whose general admission price is €13, in 2024, and €3 more with an audio guide. For those under 18 years of age, disabled people and their companion, entry is free. You can buy it on their website to avoid lines. Once inside the castle grounds, we cross the stone bridge to cross its moat and arrive at the courtyard of honor. You could say that this castle is a fortress within another fortress since it has its own walls and watch and defense towers. We access the rooms inside the castle, of which we must highlight the projection that illustrates its evolution. Since this was built in the 12th century as a palace for the Trencavel family, who acquired the title of Viscounts of the city and wanted to demonstrate their power. However, the need for protection against the continuous wars with the Kingdom of Aragon turned it into the great fortress that it is. Continuing the visit to the castle we pass through a room where there is normally a large model of the citadel that is now being restored. Further on, the lapidary museum houses the original bust of Dame Carcas and various sculptures and sarcophagi from Antiquity and the Middle Ages. To finish, we pass through the wooden galleries, called machicolations, and we return to the courtyard of honor. Where is the access to the coastal path that, for the first time, since September 13, 2024, you can walk along the walls of the entire city. And in line with this it must be mentioned that the Cité de Carcassonne is made up of two concentric walls. The interior, 1200m, built between the 4th and 6th centuries by the Romans and Visigoths, and the exterior, 1500m, dating from the 13th century, ordered to be built by Louis IX of France, in order to be able to withstand long sieges and protect itself. of the King of Aragon. Since Carcassonne was part of the defensive system of the border between France and Aragon. Likewise, these walls are made up of 52 towers that you will enter during the tour, going up and down around 800 steps. The conical roofs so characteristic of the towers of Carcassonne are not the originals, but were added at the time of their restoration, when romanticism was in full swing. This is due to the abandonment and deterioration that the city suffered for many years, to the point of considering its collapse. However, they opted for restoration and finally, in 1997 it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Another element to highlight are the lists, the space between the two walls, which served as a defense in case an army crossed the first wall, since here they would find themselves trapped and unprotected. Currently, jousting recreations, medieval markets and games are held there during the 2 festivals that take place in July and August. On July 14, France’s national day, you can see the fireworks known as Embrasement de la Cité Médiévale. But not only in summer there are special events, also on December 8 there is a torchlight procession. Whether you take the tour along the lists or on the walls, you will be able to enjoy unique landscapes of the vineyards, the forests of the Black Mountain, the garrigues and the majestic chain of the Pyrenees. In addition to the medieval city and the lower city also known as the bastide of Saint-Louis. As a curiosity, the lower city was built after the crusade against the Cathars, in which the Trencavel were defeated by the Albigensians. It later passed into the hands of King Louis IX, nicknamed Saint Louis, hence its current name. Now let’s resume our tour visiting the Basilica of Saint-Nazaire, another of the strong points of the citadel. This basilica was once a Cathedral, but in the 19th century it lost this title to the church of Saint-Michel de Carcassonne, located in the lower city. Inside, its beautiful and colorful stained glass windows, the organ and the remains of the saint that gives it its name stand out. In addition, it previously had a cloister that was destroyed during the Revolution. Space now occupied by an open-air theater, called Jean Deschamps, with capacity for about 5,000 people, which was launched in 1908 and remains active every summer. The Carcassonne festival takes place there , where we can enjoy all kinds of music and plays. In the Plaza de la Basilica, the Hotel de la cité stands out, whose building I fell in love with thanks to the ivy on its façade, the colorful flowers on the windows that match the awnings and the charming patio at the back, visible from the wall An oasis of peace away from the bustle of tourists, where you can enter, even if you are not a guest, and enjoy all its charm. Also in this square we find a fork of streets, if we take the one on the left we will reach the Porte d’Aude and if we continue on the right, rue Saint-Louis, we will reach the Castle again passing by several very charming shops. At the end of the Castle Square, we arrive at Place Marcou, another beautiful square full of bistros, cafes, restaurants, all with terraces in the purest French style. From here you can access Plo Street, which leads to the medieval field, where you can see a recreation of medieval life, its trades and even live music from the period. Also on this street is the school museum. Another street that has no waste and also part of Place Marcou, is Saint-Sernin Street and becomes Grand Puits Street, where the torture museum is located, which shows the instruments that were used for this. end from the 12th century until the French Revolution. And on Saint-Jean Street we have the Inquisition Museum, which tells of the persecution and extermination of the Cathars and heretics and the journey from the trial to the stake. We arrive at the Grand Puits square, which as you would expect is dominated by a large well and, behind it, is located the Maison Hantée or haunted house where you can live a chilling experience. Well, this has been our tour of all the corners of this beautiful location full of an exciting history for anyone who considers themselves a lover of the Middle Ages and castles, like me. If you have enjoyed this visit to Carcassonne and it has been helpful to you, don’t forget to give me a like and share it on your networks so that it can inspire more travelers. Tell me your experience or questions and I will be happy to respond. I’ll wait for you at the next destination!